The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1887-05-26
nURDER on SUICIDE.
The Body e Haz FOund IN Dry Greek
~ Cnfl1run a PLAY.

The Body q q Kan Found IN Dry Greek
- Chlldrsa - Play.
Saturday afternoon about half
past one, Benny GrsdWohl and
others who were Picnicing IN the
woods on Dry creek, found the
body Of q man and hurried home
told their parents, who ct once re-
ported the fact to the coroner, DR..
Brown. A Jury was impaneled,
County Attorney Moore called, and
the Ofilcials, together with . large
number Of citizens, proceeded to the
spot.
A few rods west Of West Park adj
ditiOn, lying on the second bank Of
the creek, now dry, the body was
found. The jurors, w. r. Houston,
K. G. Ebling, A. c. Wait, T. Braniff,
]. H. Armstrong and J. H. Taylor
then instituted q search for any ex-
listing evidence.
Portions Of q silver cased watch,
ElgIn works, were found streWn
around within q radius Of twenty
feet, and pieces Of two or three IS
bills were found torn into such small
particles ss TO be utterly yalneless
were found on the bank. A dark
brown, checked, dress suit Was on
the body, which hAd the appearance
Of q recent purchase. Death was
evidently caused by an American
bulldog six shooter, 80 eaiibre revOl-
yer, which lsy ct his left side, with
three chambers empty. A bullet
hole pierced the right temple. A IA
karat gold ring was on little finger Of
the right hand, and good substantial
lace shoes on his feet, q compare
lively new stiff hat laid on the
ground at his head; he wore . white
shirt, paper collar, and dark silk
eravat. His hair was inclined to be
red or sandy and q semblance Of
mustaehe Of the same color was
barely recognizable. Beyond that,
the body was 80 badly deoOmpOsed
and mortified as TO make IL impOssi-
BILE to describe any particular feature.
He was about FIVE feet and nine
inches In height and would prob
ably weigh about one hundred and
sixty or seventy pounds. Juror
Waite made an inventory Of his
pockets with the following result:
In the right hand outside pocket
Of the coat was found q pair Of
cellulOid cuffs, two plugs Of tobacco
and a silk handkerchief. In the in
side pocket Of his coat, same sIde,
was found q briaFWOOd pipe, smOk-
ing tobacco, and a travellers insur-
ance ticket envelope, minus the
ticket, issued by an agent Of the
company, Geo. A. Miller, Lafayette,
Ind. The inside vest pocket con-
tanned an empty leather wallet. In
the pants pocket, on the right side,
was found a vallse or trunk key and
some loaded cartridges. A gold
watch chain was in the right hand
vest pocket. An investigation Of the
left hand pants pocket revealed a
pesrl-handled pen-knife and sixty
seven cents In money.
Near by the scene Of the tragedy,
and beyond some tall hedge, was
found q newly commenced building.
Here some carpenter tools were hid
under a lot Of lumber. They were
branded G. P. Briggs. They had the
appearance Of having laid there for
some time. The weeds too had
grown up between the planks on the
foundation, and the indications were
that no labor had been performed on
the building recently. Several hui
man tracks led from here towards
where the body lay. The tracks
were made before the rain.
After a thorough investigation had
been made, the eOrOner's jury adj
jOOurned to meet in the city hall
Monday at nine o'clock.
Nothing was found on the body by
which it could be identified and the
whole affair is at present envelOped
in mystery.
Undertaken Berg with his assis-
tants, placed the body in a coffin,
which was taken TO the potter's field
and buried last evening.